---
title: "What is a CLI catalog?"
description: "A CLI catalog is the same tables and services, operated from the terminal, that a dashboard can also show."
url: "https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog"
updated: "2026-09-29"
vertical: "Serving"
doc: "https://docs.pixeltable.com/platform/cli"
---

# What is a CLI catalog?

A CLI catalog is the same tables and services, operated from the terminal, that a dashboard can also show.

Updated: 2026-09-29
Part of [How does the local-to-cloud loop work?](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-the-local-cloud-loop).

## On this page

- [How it works](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog#how-it-works)
- [What it is not](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog#what-it-is-not)
- [Comparison](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog#comparison)
- [Where Pixeltable fits](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog#where-pixeltable-fits)
- [Questions](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-a-cli-catalog#questions)

## How it works {#how-it-works}


- Commands list, apply, and query.
- The target is a local directory or a hosted URI.
- Scripts use the same commands people type.

## What it is not {#what-it-is-not}

It is not a web console with no command line, and it is not a SQL shell against an unrelated database.

## CLI catalog: this, and the thing it is confused with {#comparison}

|  | This | Not this |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Operates | The catalog | An unrelated SQL database |
| Also visible in | A dashboard | Only the shell |
| Apply | A schema file | Hand-written DDL |

## Where Pixeltable fits {#where-pixeltable-fits}

The Pixeltable CLI is pxt. It applies schema, starts services, and inspects the catalog the dashboard reads.

## Questions {#questions}

### How does CLI catalog work? {#faq-1}

Commands list, apply, and query. The target is a local directory or a hosted URI. Scripts use the same commands people type.

### What is CLI catalog often confused with? {#faq-2}

It is not a web console with no command line, and it is not a SQL shell against an unrelated database.

## In the blog

- [Your Agent Needs a Data Plane, Not a Dashboard](https://pixeltable.com/blog/agent-data-plane-not-dashboard)
- [Pixeltable May/June 2026 Release Highlights](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-may-june-2026-release-highlights)
- [Browse and Debug Multimodal Pipelines with the Pixeltable Local Dashboard](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-local-dashboard-browse-debug-pipelines)
- [Operate Your AI Catalog from the Terminal: Introducing the Pixeltable CLI](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-cli-operate-catalog-from-terminal)
- [Build a Multimodal AI App in 4 Steps Without Writing Infrastructure Code](https://pixeltable.com/blog/build-multimodal-ai-app-four-steps)
- [Designing Software for LLMs as Customers: A Five-Stage Framework](https://pixeltable.com/blog/designing-software-for-llms-as-customers)

## Related

- [Documentation](https://docs.pixeltable.com/platform/cli)
- [Operate Your AI Catalog from the Terminal: Introducing the Pixeltable CLI](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-cli-operate-catalog-from-terminal)
- [Browse and Debug Multimodal Pipelines with the Pixeltable Local Dashboard](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-local-dashboard-browse-debug-pipelines)